


The Day After

by CeriseHood5050



Series: Ruane Oneshots [1]
Category: Sarah Jane Adventures
Genre: F/F, Ruane, The beginning of Ruane
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-05
Updated: 2021-01-05
Packaged: 2021-03-15 21:35:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,300
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28570869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CeriseHood5050/pseuds/CeriseHood5050
Summary: It's the day after Ruby attempted to kill Sarah Jane, and someone unexpected arrives on Sarah Jane's doorstep.
Relationships: Sarah Jane Smith/Ruby White
Series: Ruane Oneshots [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2058468
Kudos: 1





	The Day After

**Author's Note:**

> This story can be read as a prequel to 'Stomach Ache' but doesn't have to be.

Sarah Jane hears the doorbell ring. She is sitting at her desk, working on a new news article. She just sorted out the incident with the meteors, passing it off as an advertisement for a new 3-D games console. The doorbell rings again, and Sarah Jane sighs. She will get no rest that morning, and she turns to Mr Smith. The blue and pink pattern on his screen comforts Sarah Jane as she sorts out her thoughts. After the day she had yesterday, Sarah Jane doesn’t want to answer the door. She feels so old after what happened.

But it could be critical, Sarah Jane reminds herself. But she is not expecting a delivery today. Luke shouldn’t be coming home; he was there yesterday and has a class today. So, who could be at her door? Sarah Jane gets up when the doorbell continues ringing and walks downstairs.

When she opens the door, she comes face-to-face with the one person she does and doesn’t want to see. ‘What are you doing here?’ Sarah Jane demands. She folds her arms and hopes that she looks intimidating in front of the other woman.  
‘I know you are probably the last person you want to see right now—’  
‘Understatement of the year, Ruby,’ Sarah Jane cuts across. ‘What are you doing here?’  
‘I had to see you. I wanted to make sure that you were okay after yesterday.’  
‘You should know that I’m not okay.’ Sarah Jane moves to close the door, but Ruby pushes her hand against it.  
‘I’m sorry! I wanted to stop myself long before Luke, Clyde and Rani rescued you. Please, Sarah Jane. Let me explain myself.’ Sarah Jane sighs as she thinks over her options.

‘We talk in the attic, and Mr Smith puts you in a containment vortex,’ Sarah Jane decides. ‘No more tricks.’  
‘Mr Smith won’t be able to hold me for long,’ Ruby warns Sarah Jane. ‘He only held me for a couple of minutes yesterday.’ Sarah Jane pulls the door open wider and allows Ruby to enter.  
‘A few minutes will have to do,’ Sarah Jane shrugs. ‘That should be all the time we need. But if the containment vortex fails, don’t try anything funny with either of us. Got that?’ Ruby nods. ‘You go first.’ Sarah Jane gestures to the stairs, and Ruby starts walking up.

‘Mr Smith, I need you to put a containment vortex over Ruby,’ Sarah Jane says when she and Ruby enter the attic.  
‘I should warn you that my containment vortex will not last long,’ Mr Smith says. ‘It didn’t last long yesterday.’  
‘It is only while I question Ruby.’ Ruby moves to where she was standing the day before, and Mr Smith places a containment vortex over her.

‘Right then, Ruby. Why did you come to see me today?’  
‘After yesterday, I thought over what happened. While I was killing you, I realised that I didn’t want to do it, but had no idea how to stop it. When I returned to the attic after taunting you, I asked Mr White to change the fake message of you saying goodbye to Clyde and Rani. He refused to do it and showed the message he already created to Clyde and Rani despite everything. So, I decided to show them that I couldn’t be trusted through my actions. I told them you didn’t tell Luke you left to make them suspicious. Before Clyde asked Mr Smith where I was, I put Mr White in another room. I asked him to break free from Mr White’s control and to tell Clyde ‘Beware Ruby’.’  
‘You did all that so Clyde and Rani would work out what happened? While they thought they were working it out, you were helping them?’  
‘I did it deliberately in the hope that they would save you.’  
‘Why did you want Clyde and Rani to save me?’  
‘I—you’re going to think I’m foolish for saying this.’  
‘Try me,’ Sarah Jane folds her arms. ‘I’ve seen a lot of things in my time, and whatever your reasoning is, I’m sure it isn’t stupid.’  
‘I wanted Clyde and Rani to save you because I fell in love with you!’  
‘What?!’ Sarah Jane stares at Ruby in disbelief. ‘You—What?’  
‘There, I told you it was stupid.’  
‘No, that is a legitimate reason for wanting to stop, but why didn’t you tell me at the time?’  
‘I thought you would hate me, that’s why I didn’t say anything. But you hated me anyway, me telling you that I love you would have made everything worse.’

‘Vortex compromised,’ Mr Smith interrupts the two women. ‘Vortex compromised.’  
‘What made you fall in love with me?’  
‘When I saw you for the first time, I thought you would cause problems. That’s why I did it at first. But then I saw what you were doing to help Earth. I wanted to help, and as I saw you work, I realised I made a huge mistake. As I watched you, I fell in love with you.’  
‘I thought you weren’t noticing me, that you were spending a lot of time with Clyde and Rani to distance me from them.’  
‘I was still watching you, Sarah Jane.’  
‘Containment Vortex critical,’ Mr Smith warns, and the containment vortex shuts off.

Ruby doesn’t move, but Sarah Jane still steps back. ‘I will not come close to you if you don’t want me to.’  
‘Thank you.’ Sarah Jane looks away from Ruby and sighs. ‘If it’s any consolation before you kidnapped me, I loved you.’  
‘Then why didn’t you say anything?’  
‘Our friendship was delicate; I didn’t want to say anything that could destroy it for good.’ Sarah Jane feels tears in her eyes and brushes them away.  
‘If you want, we can still try and make it work.’  
‘How? I thought we would be beyond that part.’ Sarah Jane stops herself from saying anything more, realising that her tone betrays more hurt than she wants. ‘The past few days have been draining for both of us.’  
Ruby winces at the choice of words. ‘Did you have to?’  
‘Sorry,’ Sarah Jane says. ‘I’m just saying that it took a lot out of both of us, and our emotions will still be running high. We should talk it over tomorrow.’  
Ruby nods, and steps towards the door. ‘I’ll see myself out,’ she says. Sarah Jane watches Ruby as she disappears out the door and down the stairs.

Sarah Jane sits down on the stair in front of Mr Smith. ‘Do you believe her, Mr Smith?’ She asks.  
‘As Ruby’s bio-damper is broken, I could tell whether she was lying or not.’  
‘And?’  
‘She was telling the truth.’ Sarah Jane rests her head in her hands. ‘However, what she thinks is the truth now may not be the truth for her later.’  
‘What should I do?’  
‘You should tell Clyde, Rani and Luke about what happened.’  
‘NO!’ Sarah Jane jumps to her feet. ‘I will not out Ruby like that. In fact, you are not to mention what happened today to anyone. Do you understand?’  
‘Certainly, Sarah Jane.’  
‘Good. That will be all, Mr Smith.’ Mr Smith closes up with a small burst of smoke, folding himself into the chimney.

Sarah Jane returns to her desk and saves her work. Now is not a good time to work on that news article when her emotions are running high. She will return to it later.

But what can she do about the situation with Ruby? It’s not like they can easily find a solution, not after what happened. But Ruby wants to change, become a better person. At least that’s a start. ‘We’ll get through it together,’ Sarah Jane says aloud. ‘We will take it one day at a time.’


End file.
